Mortal bodies had to have three physical needs met on a regular basis, sleep, food, and water. Throats general happened to be savoring the sweet taste of the first; his craving for dreams brought about by the need to recover from all the sparing he had been paired in of late. Training fresh blood was hard work, and then patrolling and fathering afterwards made for a tired daddy.

Peacefully, Midas and Fina slept on, unaware that a precious life hung in the balance.

Suddenly, a blood curling scream raped their minds of quiet slumber.

Body quivered and eyes shot open as if jolted by a powerful electric shock, his heart was racing and for a moment Midas could only stare into the vacant meadow with confusion. Instinctively, he searched in vain for a presence that had long since taken leave, “Where is Cera?” he wondered with sober expression. Length rose, shaking to rid pelt of twig and dirt. Ivory wings slightly flared from his sides in readiness, though the ready wasn’t something he could put a name to. Fina had also awoke, glassy orbs bewildered and unsure at what had just happened.

Had the cry simply been part of his dreams? Why did something feel….very wrong?

Mind swam in a sea of ignorance; like a drunken man Midas stumbled forward, toward the sound of what he thought had been a scream. Ears so sharply pointed forward that they very nearly caused him pain. When Fina rose from her curled position in a nearby tree to land upon his back, he took little notice toward tiny talons that pinched and pulled flesh. “Cera?” He uttered in denial. Pelt was quickly warming, covering him in a blanket of hot perspiration until…. "DADDY!!!"

That single word chimed through the trees, painfully realizing his worst fears. A voice responded, but it was more animalistic and predator, than the simple bellow of a stallion. His roar emerged from throbbing breast as a spasm of energy pushed frame forward and into the sky quicker than he had ever attempted before. Fear tightened movements, and try as he might Midas couldn’t push them away. Quickened thrusts carried onward, limbs tore at the sky in attempt to move air past at a more rapid pace.

Landing at a gallop the brute tore through timbers and bush, ignorant to the pain caused from sharp bramble, “CERA?!” the anguished father cried out, desperate for response and terrified of what might be found. Scuffled sounds caught attention and he then he saw them, body skid to a halt with shock evident across his once gentle face. A blood bay stallion stood over his beloved child, a monster with glass horns. Fury came then, hot anger that swam through his blood and into each stretched tendon. Face contorted into something of bitter hate, muzzle pulled back to show a clean row of white ivory’s.

No longer did their stand a general of calm aura and gentle word, this creature…unworthy of a name, had summoned a beast of the heart. A scream flooded chest and forced emergence, not a cry of fear, but one of that bore the mark of warrior. Socked limbs jerked into action, carrying frame toward them at an alarming rate; as he ran, slithers of silver steel crept along flesh. Each plate shifted and curled around tawny muscle; his magic twisted and pulled at the earth, summoning a wave of sand to aid.

Horned face aimed down, toward the heart of said killer; wings rose as the irons of his lord lashed pointed blades upon the primary muscles. Sand followed and pooled at feet before lashing out to strike ahead before he could land attack.

He would kill this blight, or join son in the afterlife.

Fina leapt from shoulder and into the sky, she wasn’t old enough to assist her charge in ways that would be helpful. Landing near the wounded child her bonded called his, the bird felt pity even though she didn’t understand all the commotion. Something deep inside their bond called her to protect this pale cherub, wings flared and fluffed. Hissing the phoenix snarled at the bay stallion and put herself between the fighting brutes and victim.